The 980-nm diode laser has been under investigation for neurosurgery because of a local peak in the absorption spectra of water around this wavelength. This work was carried out to examine the extent of thermal changes and the recovery process of laser-induced brain lesions. In order to study the quality of the lesions, a conventional monopolar electrocoagulation technique was applied comparatively. An in vivo stereotaxic neurosurgical procedure was performed on Wistar rats. Bilateral brain lesions of the same size (2-3 mm diameter) were created with a diode laser and via electrocoagulation. Subjects were sacrificed 0, 2 and 7 days after surgery in order to observe the healing process of the necrotic tissue. The surgical after-effects of both types of lesions were identified through immunohistochemical staining with CD68 macrophage marker and haematoxylin eosin (H&E). CD68 was found to be more efficient than H&E in determining the thermally altered areas. Histological examinations showed that the 980-nm diode laser system has a remarkable ablating ability with minimal thermal damage of nearby tissue.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.